Simanaitis Says

On cars, old, new and future; science & technology; vintage airplanes, computer flight simulation of them; Sherlockiana; our English language; travel; and other stuff

TRUMP AND SCIENCE/TECH     PART 1

PERHAPS YOU’VE NOTICED, SCI-TECH IS ONE OF THE eight categories of SimanaitisSays. The others: Classic (largely focused on old R&Ts), Trippin’ (my Baedekers and personal travel), Editor (language and word … Continue reading

December 7, 2024 · 1 Comment

THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE AND “BRAIN ROT”     PART 2

YESTERDAY I RANTED ON ABOUT THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE versus purist democracy, tied loosely with “brain rot” being named Oxford’s Word of the Year. Today, we focus on this and its … Continue reading

December 6, 2024 · Leave a comment

THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE AND “BRAIN ROT” PART 1

GIVEN THAT 49.9 PERCENT OF U.S. VOTERS chose Trump, it comes as no surprise that “brain rot” has been named the Oxford Word of the Year. Here, in Parts 1 … Continue reading

December 5, 2024 · 2 Comments

PORSCHE 1600—MORE THAN 60 YEARS AGO

TODAY, PORSCHE SELLS SUVS (about two-thirds of its products)—and then there’s the 911 (about 15 percent of production) and some others. However in October 1961, R&T marveled, “… back in … Continue reading

December 4, 2024 · 6 Comments

CYBERTHUGS 

NOT THAT I’M SEEKING THINGS to worry about in the coming Trump administration, but our past-and-pre-President has already declared enthusiasm for cryptocurrency: “I’m laying out my plan,” he says, “to … Continue reading

December 3, 2024 · 2 Comments

OF THEE I SING—A POLITICAL SATIRE

THE GOINGS-ON OF THE PRE-PRESIDENT and his Project 2025-inspired bunch of whackos display elements of Theatre of the Absurd considerably beyond that of mere satire. With this in mind, though, … Continue reading

December 2, 2024 · 1 Comment

WHOM—AND WHAT—DO I TRUST?

IN THESE DAYS OF RAMPANT MIS- AND DISINFORMATION, what sources should we trust? And, note well, we don’t necessarily have to agree with these sources, but rather put faith in … Continue reading

December 1, 2024 · 5 Comments

SPRITE II OUTGROWS ITS BUGEYES—AND MORE

A CURIOUS THING ABOUT R&T’S August 1961 road test of the Sprite II is the magazine’s complete omission of the name Austin-Healey. Variously the car’s BMC allegiance is noted, but … Continue reading

November 30, 2024 · 1 Comment

PUTTING SCIENCE IN PERSPECTIVE

MARCIA MCNUTT IS PRESIDENT OF THE U.S. Academy of Sciences (and, from 2013 to 2016, editor-in-chief of AAAS Science journals including this magazine). McNutt writes an Editorial in Science, November … Continue reading

November 29, 2024 · 4 Comments

KALININ K-7—A GMAX CHALLENGE   PART 2

UNLIKE KONSTANTIN KALININ, I CAN HONESTLY SAY Josef Stalin did not force me to build a Kalinin K-7. This, despite my usual GMax avoidance of such ungainly craft. On the … Continue reading

November 28, 2024 · 1 Comment